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v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. D. HARDEN 8v J. P. WHITE.

v TOY VEHIGLB. y

No. 341,329. Patented May 4, 1886.

(No Model.)

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A 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. D. HARDEN 8v J. P. WHITE. v TOY VEHICLE. l No. 341,329. Patented May 4, 1886.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-sheen 3.

W. D. HARDEN 8v J. P. WHITE.

TOY VEHICLE. l No. 341,329. Patented May 4, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE WILLIAM D. HARDEN AND J OSPH P. WHITE, OF SAVANNAH, GA., ,ASSIGNORS OF TVO-THIRDS TO SAID HARDEN AND ONE-THIRD TO SAID VHITE.

TOY VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,329, dated May 4, 1886.

Application led October 1, 1885. Serial No. 173,741. (No model.)

io and means for separating said parts in imita-Y tion of an eiplosion.

The invention has for its object to provide a novel toy of the above-mentioned character; and it consists in the combination, with i a sectional toy having wheels to travel on a floor or other surface, of a device for effecting the separation of the toy-sections in imitation of a miniature explosion, and mechanism connected with the wheel-axle and held inoperaon the surface traversed, vand operating only when the wheels travel on such surface to release or operate the aforesaid device.

The invention further consists of other` features, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which P 2o tive thereby while the wheels are stationary Figure 1 is a side elevation of the locomo-` tive-engine entire. Fig. 2 is a similar view 3o showing the parts at the moment of explosion. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 1, showing the propelling and exploding mechanism in elevation. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the exploding devices Slightly enlarged. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan View of l the1 removable section of the boiler and cab, showing the manner in which they are detachably united. Fig. 6 is a view of the exploding-cartridge. Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section of a toy engine propelled by any device other than automatic mechanism, and embodying our invention. Fig. S is adetail showing a form of automatic exploding mechanism adapted to locomotives of the class shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken behind the shaft of the drivewheels, showing a modification. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective of part of the devices shown in Fig. 9.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 5o 1 designates the frame of a toy locomotiveengine, having pivotally mounted pilotwheels 2 and large driving-wheels 3, the constructionbeing of the kind usually employed in this class of toys. The shaft 4 of the driv- 5 5 ing-wheels isdriven by a train of gears, 5 6 7,

.&c., actuated by a coiled spring, S, having one end attached to awinding-shaft, 9. This mechanism may be of any known or suitable description.

Upon the frame 1 is mounted a miniature boiler, 10, having miniature cylinders and piston-rods 11, a cab, 12, being placed behind the rear end of the boiler. Upon the forward end is mounted a smoke-stack, 13, connected with the boiler by a wire, 14, or similar device, hinged upon the end thereof and rigidly connected with the lower end of the stack, the extremity of which rests in an opening, 15, in the top of the boiler.

The upper portion or roof of the cab is severed by a horizontal cut from the lower portion, and the lower ends of the walls are provided with short forks 16, which straddlc and rest upon the edges of the lower portion, whereby a secure union of said parts is effected, while at the same time the roof of the cab may be easily removed by lifting it npward.

A section, 17, of the boiler may be made 8o detachable from the rest of said section, forks 18 being mounted upon its inner surface and projecting below its edges in such manner as to straddle and rest upon the edges of the permanent portion 10.

XVithin (or it may be placed under) the boiler, a little distance in front of the spring S, is iirmly mounted a small anvil, 19, having upon its upper part a breech-piece, 20,adapt ed to receive a blank cartridge, 21, which is 9c preferably of about thirty-two caliber. Upon the lower part of the anvil is pivoted a hammer, 22,which is thrown against the cartridge by a spring, 23, which is connected to the hammer above its pivotal mounting by a finger, 24, curved upward, so that when the hammer is drawn back far enough the point of attachment of said finger will be carried below the pivotal point of the hammer, thereby holding the latter cocked by the tension of the spring. The arrangement of these parts is such that when thrown back far enough to be cocked the end of the hammer rests upon or lies nea-r the spring 8, which is coiled to its smallest size and highest tension. The parts heilig in in this position, and the cartridge 2l being inserted in the breech-piece, the roof of the cab and the detachable section of the boiler and the smoke-stack are all placed in position, a bar, 25, rigidly mounted upon the former, projecting immediately over the steam-drum 26 upon the detachable boiler-section. The engine is then placed upon the iioor and released, whereupon the spring S sets the driving-wheels in motion andpropels the locomotive. As the movement continues, the spring expands until it lifts the point of attachment of the finger 24 above the pivotal point of the hammer 22, whereupon the latter is thrown violently against the cartridge, exploding it and throwing off the removable section of the boiler, which carries with it the roof of the cab, and at the same time toppling the smokestack over in front, by which the engine is immediately stopped. The operation thus described can be repeated ad Zfibz'um.

We may make the boiler with more than one removable section, and the parts may be connected in any suitable manner.

Thisinvention may be applied without material change to a toy steamboat, and it al'- fords a safe and entertaining means of amusement for children. The iiring mechanism is so arranged that there can be no danger to the person in case of a premature discharge, the entire force of the explosion being received by the closed forward end of the boiler.

The arrangement described and illustrated is deemed the best and most complete, and shows the character of the invention; but for the purpose ot' furnishing the toy at a cheaper.

price the explosive arrangement, substantially as described, may be attached to any toy vehicle which represents a vehicle propelled by steam-power, but which is not automatically moved, but is moved by an external a'pplication of force, as by being pulled with a string. In such case we propose accomplishing the same results by arranging on the revolving axle of the driving-wheels a screwthread or spiral liange or similar device, which will move a sliding iinger to the exploding mechanism, and thus discharge thelock. The sliding finger should be movably attached to a fixed rod above the axle, and so arranged that it can be set at any point of the thread or spiral iiange, and the movement of the axle, as the vehicle is propelled, will cause the iinger to slide on the rod and so discharge the exploding mechanism; and where itis desirable to have the toy used under circumstances where it lwould be preferable to avoid the noise, smoke, and smell of an exploding cartridge, the same or a similar arrangement described for discharging the hammer to explode the cartridge may be used to discharge a spring, which will fly up and throw off the detachable portions of the vehicle. This form of construction is shown in Fig. 7, in which the invention is shown as applied to a toy locomotive having the detachable parts constructed substantial] y as already described.

In Fig. 7 we have illustrated the application of a spring for the purpose of producing such a dismemberment of the parts as to imitate a boiler-explosion, and in said gure the numeral 28 designates a steel spring of snitable strength mounted upon a block, 29, .upon the lower portion of `the boiler. The end of this spring is free to vibrate vertically, and lies normally near the roof of the boiler and preferably near the base of the steamdrum when applied to a locomotive. Upon the removable boiler-section 17 is mounted an inner yoke-shaped strip,30, arranged over the spring in such position that the latter will, when released from tension, strike smartly upon it and throw the removable boiler-section into the air. The detachable roof 12 of the cab is thrown oft' by the bar 25, as already described, and in order to throw down the stack a bar, 31, is rigidly fastened to the base of the same and extended just above the boiler till its end overlies the end of the boiler-section 17. The spring 28 is held at the required tension by a catch, 32, pivoted in a horizontal plane on a standard, 33, and having its rear end projecting over or near the rear axle, 34. Upon this axle is mounted or formed'a worm, 35, which is revolved by the movement of the toy, and st-raddling the axle in such manner as to engage with the worin is a removable trigger, V36, having at one end a fork, 37, which sits upon the axle and meshes with the worm. In front of the trigger and above and parallel with the axle is placed a rigid bar, 38, against which the trigger rests as the worm revolves, and by which its upright position is preserved. The spring 2S being bent and conti ned, the trigger is placed next to the right-hand drive-wheel, with its forked end engaging with the worm, and the engine isset in motion in any suitable manner. This motion causes Ythe trigger to travel slowly toward the opposite end of the axle until it impinges upon the end ot' the pivoted catch 32, which is turned by it far enough to release the spring 28 and cause the miniature explosion. This form ot' construction effects thel result proposed without the use of powder, and avoids the smell of the smoke and noise of the explosion. XVe propose, however, to apply the firing mechanism in a slightly-modified form to the automatic by external force-such, for example, as a string, by which it may be drawn.

One form of the devices last mentioned is illustrated in Figs. 9 and l0, in which the numeral 20 denotesthe breech-block, (shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4,) with its hammer 22 con- IOO explosion of a cartridge in toy devices moved Y ISO structcd and actuated in the manner already described. The hammer, when cocked, rests upon one end of a lever, 39, pivoted upon a horizontal axis, 40, and having the other end, 40a, bent at an angle, so as to lie over or near the axle 34, which is provided with a worm, as already described. The trigger used with this lever is provided with a poi nt, 41, having a beveled or inclined edge adapted to engage with and by its advancing movement depress the end 4.0" of the lever, and thereby lift the hammer high enough to spring it. The trigger is supported and guided by a bar, 3S,which also affords a support for the lever 39, the bent end of which underlies said bar, and thereby enables the lever to support the hammer when cocked. rPhe construction of the trigger is in all respects,save its beveled or cam edge, similar to that shown and described in connection with Figs. 7 and S. The end of the hammer 22 is slotted and receives a rest, 42, pivoted in the slot or fork, which may be turned to support the hammer, when cocked, at varying heights, and thereby enable it to be more easily sprung.

XVe are aware that sectional vtoy engines and other toys have been provided with means whereby the parts may be separated in imitation of an explosion; but we are not aware that a sectional toy has ever heretofore been provided with wheels to travel on a floor or other surface combined with a device or devices for effecting the separation of the toysections, and means connected with the wheel axle and held inoperative when the wheels are stationary on the iloor or other surface traversed, but permitted to operate and actuate the device which separates the toy-sections when the toy is traveling over the door or other surface.

Having thus described our invention, what l. The combination, with a sectional toy having wheels to travel on a fioor or other surface, of a device for effecting the separation of the toy-sections in imitation of a miniature explosion, and mechanism, substantially as described, connected with the wheel-axle and held inoperative thereby,while the wheels are stationary on the surface traversed, and operating only when the wheels travel on such surface, substantially as described.

2. rlhe combination, with a toy locomotive or other steam-engine having removable boiler and cab sections and a movable stack, of cartridge-exploding mechanism located within or under the boiler, and operated by the propelling mechanism of the engine, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a toy locomotive or other toy steam-engine having one or more removable boiler-sections and a removable roof or other top portion of the cab, of a smoke-stack hinged to or detachably mounted upon the outer end of the boiler and seatedin an aperture in the top thereof, and cartridgeexploding mechanism located within or under the boiler and automatically operated by the propelling mechanism, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a toy locomotive or other toy steam-engine, of cartridge-exploding devices located within or under the boiler, propelling mechanism whereby said exploding devices are actuated, a removable boiler-section, and a cab-roof or other top portion, each having forks which straddle and rest upon the edges of the permanent portion, and a stack hinged to the boiler and resting in an opening in the top thereof, the cab-roof having a bar which projects over the steam-dome on the removable boiler-section, substantially as described.

5. In a toy locomotive or other toy steamengine having removable boiler-sections and smoke-stack, the combination, with a train of gearing and a mainspring driving the wheels, of a breech-piece located in the boiler, and a hammer, which, when cocked, rests upon or near to the compressed propelling-spring, substantially as described.

6. In a toy locomotive or other toy steam engine, the combination, with the boiler having one or more removable sections, of a cab having a removable roof or other portion, provided with a bar projecting over the steamdome mounted on one of said sections, a breech-piece located within or under said boiler, and a hammer operated by a spring connected with said hammer by a curved iinger, and a propelling-spring against which the hammer lies when cocked.

7. In a toy locomotive or other toy steamengine, the combination, with a propellingspring actuating a train of gears, of a boiler constructed with one or more removable sections having forks which straddle and rest upon the edges of the permanent parts, astack resting in an opening in the boiler and connected with the end thereof by a hinge-joint, a breech-piece' within or under the boiler, a hammer pivoted thereon, and a curved finger connecting said spring to the hammer above its pivotal point, the hammer being arranged so that when cocked it lies upon or near to the compressed propelling-spri ng, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof` we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

VM. l). HARDEN. JOSEPH P. XVHITE. Vitnesses:

R. D. BoGAR'r, J. B. BULcxnN.

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